Raiders’ Sixth-Rounder Tommy Mellott To Play WR

The Raiders added two FCS quarterbacks in the sixth round of April’s draft, bringing Montana State’s Tommy Mellott and North Dakota State’s Cam Miller aboard. As our Ely Allen wrote at the time the picks were made, some scouts and analysts believed Mellott would transition to wide receiver at the professional level, and that is precisely what will happen.

Las Vegas has said Mellott will play WR, per Michael David Smith of Pro Football Talk. While Miller will attempt to earn a place on the QB depth chart behind Geno Smith and Aidan O’Connell, Mellott will focus his efforts elsewhere on offense and on special teams.

Mellott became Montana State’s full-time signal-caller in 2021, though his best numbers as a passer didn’t come until his final collegiate season in 2024, when he won the Walter Payton Award (the FCS award for most outstanding offensive player). Last year, Mellott threw for 31 touchdowns (his previous season-high was 10) with only two interceptions. For his career, he threw 55 TDs to only eight picks in 49 games.

Of course, it is difficult to project how FCS success will translate to the NFL, and Mellott’s rushing statistics offer a clue as to how he might thrive in the pros. In his 49 collegiate contests, he compiled 3,517 rushing yards and 43 rushing scores while sustaining a 7.2 yards-per-carry average. As ESPN’s Kalyn Kahler notes in a rather comprehensive piece detailing Mellott’s draft-day experience and his future with the Raiders, Las Vegas special teams coordinator Tom McMahon believes Mellott can become a new version of Taysom Hill, Julian Edelman, or Josh Cribbs, college QBs who found success as offensive weapons and/or special teams aces in the NFL.

As far as Day 3 choices go, Mellott was reportedly a hot commodity. McMahon knew his colleagues around the league were well-aware of Mellott, and he attempted to obscure his feelings about the former Bobcat during conversations with those colleagues. GM John Spytek also opted against using a “30” visit on Mellott to avoid alerting other clubs of the Raiders’ interest, and McMahon says as soon as the Mellott pick was announced, he received texts from other ST coaches indicating their team was about to select the talented prospect.

Mellott is a self-described fan of Edelman and noted that the Patriots icon first earned attention as a pro by excelling as a punt returner. Mellott likewise will attempt to gain recognition in whatever role Las Vegas envisions for him.

“I was a different kind of prospect going into the NFL,” Mellott said. “I wasn’t a clear-cut quarterback. … To get drafted is an honor and a privilege. The work is not even close to being done. I’m excited to go there and prove that I can contribute.”

In addition to Mellott, the Raiders tried to shore up their significant WR need by adding Jack Bech (second round) and Dont’e Thornton (fourth round) in the draft. But unless Las Vegas also signs one of the veteran wideouts still on the market, there would seemingly still be an opportunity for Mellott to carve out an ancillary role among the club’s pass-catching contingent in addition to whatever work he sees as a return specialist. 

Ameer Abdullah led Vegas with 10 punt returns and nine kickoff returns last year, but he is still a free agent.